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âIâm wrongâ: O'Neill apologises for Ceolwulf comments
Connor Scanlon ⹠ August 25th, 2025 4:39 pm
John O'Neill has apologised to Ceolwulfâs trainer Joe Pride about recent comments he made about the gelding.
Just a few weeks ago, prominent owner O'Neill suggested that Ceolwulf would struggle to get close to Via Sistina this spring.
âIf I trained it, it would win three Group 1s,â OâNeill told SENTrackâs Giddy Up a few weeks ago.
âIt would go to the Toorak (Handicap), with plenty of weight and win. Then, Iâd send it to Perth, and it would win the Railway (Stakes), and Iâd win the 2000m (Australian Cup).
â(Because) he wonât get within 100 yards of Via Sistina⊠Itâll get lapped.
âItâs not going as good as what it was.â
Since those comments were made Ceolwulf ran excellently when finishing fourth in Saturday's Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), just 2.48 lengths behind winner Via Sistina.
OâNeill admitted that his opinion on Ceolwulf was incorrect but joked that his original comments wouldâve guaranteed the five-year-old a successful spring.
âSo, what I would like to say here is if it did go to those three Group 1s, it would win all them quite easily, so I would guarantee three Group 1s,â OâNeill joked.
âHaving said that, Iâm wrong.
âBecause the run on the weekend (was amazing).â
Reflecting on the run, OâNeill admitted that Pride nailed Ceolwulfâs lead-up preparation.
âSo, what I need to do is, Iâm probably gonna buy Joe Pride a beer,â admitted OâNeill.
âWhat Iâd like to say to Joe is, âGeez, itâs a good horseâ.
âI will say that I think Via Sistina is clearly the best horse in the country, and weâve said that for a couple of years.
âBut Ceolwulf ran (amazingly) on the weekend, whether Ceolwulf was on the better ground out wider, Iâm not sure.â
OâNeill also touched on how jockey Chad Schofield made some mistakes in the Winx Stakes, making Ceolwulfâs run even more impressive.
âI think Chad was on Ceolwulf, he sort of went to make a move and then changed his mind,â revealed OâNeill.
âI think the other (jockeys) sort of pinched some runs on the inside.
âI think (Schofield) was going to go back to the inside, and then he decided to swing wide.
âThe run was huge, and if (Ceolwulf) is able to reproduce that, itâs gonna knock a lot of horses out of the way.â
Host Gareth Hall then chimed in, questioning OâNeill on whether he would back Ceolwulf in the King Charles Stakes, for which he is an equal $4.80 favourite with Sportsbet, alongside Fangirl.
âI would certainly be having something on,â OâNeill revealed.
âAnd I will be.â
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